Ringling Bros. testimony about use of bullhooks

Jan. 25, 2013

Written by

Jim Myers

The Tennessean

A recent court settlement between Ringling Bros. and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals resulted in a payment of $9.3 million by the animal welfare group to circus owner Feld Entertainment.

The original suit brought by the ASPCA, a former Ringling Bros. employee and other organizations was dismissed, as was the appeal. Ringling Bros. then countersued the organizations using racketeering laws to claim that Tom Rider, the principal witness, was nothing more than a paid informant.

“This case lasted 12 years and we spent $22 million defending ourselves, and all because they created this. As I said at the outset, we didn’t look for this. Going to court is not our business. Our business is creating live family entertainment,” said Steve Payne, spokesman for Feld Entertainment, the parent company of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

“So, a decade later, as well as during all of this time, this vitriol and hatred by these organizations at the people who care for our animals is just abhorrent,” Payne added.

While the settlement was considered a tremendous blow among the ranks of animal welfare organizations, they do point out what they consider to be damning testimony, again, framing the argument that physical correction with bullhooks is more about abusive control than humane training.

Below are selected transcripts of testimony given in 2009 by Kenneth Feld, CEO of Feld Entertainment, and Gary Jacobson, general manager of the Center for Elephant Conservation.

Q. Actually I’d like to call that testimony up, if I could. That would be Mr. Ridley’s (elephant handler on Blue Unit) deposition at line 55 — Page 55, line 20. This was a deposition given by Mr. Ridley on Aug. 25, 2006.

Q. OK. How often do you see puncture wounds caused by bullhooks?

A Probably three to four times a month. That’s with the whole herd of elephants.